After the craziness of the morning, I have a few suggestions I'll share now, some of which I've said in years past and will keep fine-tuning until they're considered "Doable". This is for after this year as well. it is something I will continue to advocate for.

1.) Panelists get a different-colored badge. I think this would help especially with security. I walked into room 200 right when you were trying to track down some panelists, some of whom were still trying to either get their badges at registration or get into the Hynes. Once panelists have their badge from registration, they take it to room 200 where it is traded in for a different-colored badge. Anyone who sees it will know what it means and you will have an expedited security check-in.

2.) Text Panelists to confirm they're good to go an hour or more from when their panel is set to begin if they haven't checked in yet. Loved the announcement text I got today even though in my particular case, I knew in advance about "the not-so-secret passage". Communication is key. Before I left for the day, I dropped by the programming department to let them know when I'd be leaving for the day and when to expect me back tomorrow evening. This was after I had it confirmed they knew my cellphone was on and the number works =D

3.) Panelists get full use of room 200 or a separate room as a "base". Room 200 purposely in a partially hidden location. I've noticed a few unused rooms on the third floor earlier today that are furnished with tables and chairs as well as open--not just unlocked but the doors are propped open. One was marked as a press room but it was empty--no people or equipment inside.

I think designating a room as a place where panelists know to just go to for whatever they might need or even to just meet other panelists would also make the programming team much easier. Say it's room 200. If someone is having a problem with their room, they know to go to 200 to speak to someone to help them troubleshoot their problem. As a bonus, it could also create the opportunity for panelists to meet other panelists and share best practices, etc.

The text thing was nice, though I received it around noonish well after I had already presented my first panel. Was a nice touch though. A panelist friend got it before me,so I assume that's just the phone system doing that strange slow-down it does at cons.

So far all tech staff have been great, helpful, on panels I attend and held. The quality of panels itself has not had me disappointed either. Some could have used improvements, but not everyone starts out mega-awesome. Day2 here we come.

It would be really cool if similar panels could get contact info for the other topics. I'd have loved to chat with the other Fire Emblem panelists and see if we could cover some different material, but their panel filled over and so did mine, so there was no way to network. Also, I know space is super limited, but last year Otakon introduced a panelist room to check in as well as sit and do last-minute panel work and meet other panelists, and that was a really nice option for us.

Maybe rather than a different colored badge, something like a stick-on panelist ribbon could be implemented? Definitely something that costs more and takes a little time, but giving out even just a sticker for badges at panel check-in could be cool.

Overall I had a great time running my panel this year, and staff was extremely helpful with getting me past a major technical issue while keeping the panel going smoothly. I was worried that with the delay, the audience would ditch, but I was able to keep talking while staff members worked on my laptop to make things go okay. We still managed the whole panel and a Q&A session, though it was a little out of order.

Thanks for all your hard work! This is my third year paneling at AB, and it's my favorite con to do it at, so I hope to be back again next year!

Aurabolt wrote:After the craziness of the morning, I have a few suggestions I'll share now, some of which I've said in years past and will keep fine-tuning until they're considered "Doable". This is for after this year as well. it is something I will continue to advocate for.

1.) Panelists get a different-colored badge. I think this would help especially with security. I walked into room 200 right when you were trying to track down some panelists, some of whom were still trying to either get their badges at registration or get into the Hynes. Once panelists have their badge from registration, they take it to room 200 where it is traded in for a different-colored badge. Anyone who sees it will know what it means and you will have an expedited security check-in.

***SNIP***

3.) Panelists get full use of room 200 or a separate room as a "base". Room 200 purposely in a partially hidden location. I've noticed a few unused rooms on the third floor earlier today that are furnished with tables and chairs as well as open--not just unlocked but the doors are propped open. One was marked as a press room but it was empty--no people or equipment inside.

I think designating a room as a place where panelists know to just go to for whatever they might need or even to just meet other panelists would also make the programming team much easier. Say it's room 200. If someone is having a problem with their room, they know to go to 200 to speak to someone to help them troubleshoot their problem. As a bonus, it could also create the opportunity for panelists to meet other panelists and share best practices, etc.

...That's what I got for now. The rest will come post-con.

I really want to emphasize my agreement with these two points. I had maps for my panel and having somewhere to store them would have been useful.

I just want to say the AB staff were great. I brought in some maps at the last minute and, despite some confusion, I was able o get gaffer's tape to post them on the walls. The staffers at my two panels did wonderful work, especially the fellow at my 'lawn' panel who kept me honest with the time.

I've been waiting for the Your Lie In April DVDs to come out before I watched the entire show, but I loved what I've seen of it so much I just had to attend the Live Drawing and Discussion panel and the Launch Party fully understanding that what I haven't seen of the show will be spoiled for me. I was amazed not only by how great the panels were as that was expected, but by how much respect the staff, audience, and guests had for people who had not yet seen the entire show that not a single thing was spoiled for me during the entire weekend. I really appreciated that.

a suggestion for next year for panelists/panel coordinator: give panelists access passes like the vip attendee passes but for the entrances, like the vendor and GOH passes. many panels were cancelled because the panelist was stuck in the disaster lines and never made it in time to even present. I was nearly late to mine Friday night, and it was at 10 in the freaking evening!!!

Basically, my feedback is a lot of what other people are saying: those of us presenting need better access. This was my first year presenting ("Legends of the Street", Hynes 208 Fri 10AM) and I arrived at my panel room with my two co-panelists at 9:49, with barely any time to set up AV. '

And it took a lot of harranguing from confused, uninformed staff on all three fronts (AB, MCCA, and Securitas) to get us in on time as by ~9am the main line was parked, probably a 2hr wait. i know about a dozen people who couldn't attend my panel because they were in that, I imagine there were other panelists among them.

It's much the same for those of us participating in cosplay events (I was in chess). It was a nightmare getting inside on time for check-ins, rehearsal, and the event itself. The little slips we were given by HQ? Meaningless at the checkpoints. Panelists/speakers/presenters/cosplay events people need priority access.

Access to room 200 would be nice too, but baby steps--getting us in so we can actually help the show go on would be nice. It was very stressful.

Hey Kate, firstly I wanted to thank you for how responsive you were with e-mails. As a first time panelist and host of Anime Figures 101 I had an overwhelming experience. I felt like I came in unprepared compared to other panels I went to before mine as I had no script and my presentation was largely images and I spoke from my knowledge. The staff member working in Room 309 for me was a huge help and did an amazing job. She was incredibly positive and helped me out with everything I needed. As for my panel itself I got a seemingly great response and very few people left throughout and those who left did so at the halfway point so maybe they just went to another panel. Also, I barely saw anyone on their phone throughout! I ran for 40/45 minutes with a Q&A after and there were many questions with me being able to answer all but two of them. It seemed as if I posed more credible on the topic as I really was and some audience members were under the impression that I was a sculptor of them myself.

As for myself as a panelist I felt I could have definitely improved upon many things and included much more. When I reflect back on it there was so much more content I ignored because I felt I was restricted by time but it could have easily fit in there. I wrote down all questions I received and plan to include them in the next panel if I'm blessed with the opportunity to host one again.

As for suggestions topics these are my thoughts.

1. The ability to skip entrance lines with a panelist sticker/badge as staff members would be helpful. However this may be abused by panelists outside of trying to get in to host their panels so try limiting to receiving it just for the day of the panel(s). As for myself as a panelist I had left the convention center to get my panel setup items and returned at 7pm in order to get into the room by 7:30pm as I had planned for the long lines.

2. After submitting a panel through the Anime Boston website, at no point did I have to actually communicate with anyone that I would follow through and it was just taken for granted that I would be there. While I had no intention of bailing this is a serious flaw and there should definitely be enforced communication before this. The current system allows someone to submit a panel, get it approved, and then just no show as it's just added to the schedule regardless. Check-in also did not seem to be enforced and as I mostly forgot to do that part, I showed up at the programming operations room a few minutes before going to the room.

3. Use of the programming operations room to panelists would be amazing. When I showed up there were many empty tables and chairs and it seems like a great area for panelists to prepare themselves. For example a team of panelists could discuss their plan one last time there or make some quick changes to there presentation. Most importantly the ability to store laptop and other equipment as well as demonstration/giveaway materials would be a blessing so they don't need to be carried around the entire convention or stored back at a hotel.

4. The physical guidebook lists panels very poorly and it needs to do so in an organized manner by day and time. The guidebook was horrendous to go through and my panel was even left out of it (which was depressing in its on way). I think the Guidebook app itself should be encouraged to be used by attendees as it's INCREDIBLY useful. You can even use the rating function on it to determine whether panels were enjoyable for the attendees or not. So definitely encourage use of the app (maybe by throwing a large print in about it with the bags people pick up at registration) and plan the physical copy better.

Lastly I have questions of my own:

Is there a limit to how many panels one person can host under the assumption they were all rated very highly using that secret rating system?
Are you allowed to run over your time slot by around 15~ minutes given there is a 30 minute break between panels?
When does the physical/digital guidebook get finalized?
Can you provide examples of panels that would receive high and low ratings on the 1-5 scale used?

I pretty much agree with what everyone else is saying about panel presenters needing a special pass to bypass the lines/security etc and possibly a special entrance for them only.

I'm also thinking that if security lines like this are going to be a common occurence in the future you might want to move things with long term participation like the video game room, or workshop type things into the Sheraton and not regular panels. The reason I say this as I suspect for the most part everyone who had a panel in the Sheraton suffered attendance wise. People were either too reluctant to leave the long security line they've been waiting in or unwilling to leave the hynes and deal with the hassel of getting back in. I'm not sure how feasible it would be because I don't know what exactly goes into planning for the con so consider it just an idea.

RunningInThe90s wrote:Basically, my feedback is a lot of what other people are saying: those of us presenting need better access. This was my first year presenting ("Legends of the Street", Hynes 208 Fri 10AM) and I arrived at my panel room with my two co-panelists at 9:49, with barely any time to set up AV. '

And it took a lot of harranguing from confused, uninformed staff on all three fronts (AB, MCCA, and Securitas) to get us in on time as by ~9am the main line was parked, probably a 2hr wait. i know about a dozen people who couldn't attend my panel because they were in that, I imagine there were other panelists among them.

It's much the same for those of us participating in cosplay events (I was in chess). It was a nightmare getting inside on time for check-ins, rehearsal, and the event itself. The little slips we were given by HQ? Meaningless at the checkpoints. Panelists/speakers/presenters/cosplay events people need priority access.

Access to room 200 would be nice too, but baby steps--getting us in so we can actually help the show go on would be nice. It was very stressful.

I was in a bunch of the Cosplay Games and I showed staff members my special badges and explained it to them, and was able to get an escort. Contacting the coordinator and having them send an escort to go get you works also.

This has more to do about panel submission feedback. I briefly talked to Kate on Friday morning about this but wanted to bring this up to others.

Since this was my first attempt at submitting a panel at AB, I had my panel ranked low because of a misinterpretation which shouldn't have happened if the description was read through. Instead, only the title was really looked at, and they thought it was something completely different.

I realize that AB gets a ton of panel applications, but I was hoping that we could've gotten some feedback early on, so that we could fix minor issues or if something is confusing that could be easily fixed/addressed. Kate and I discussed the possibility of an early, panel test form that could be submitted to hash out any details that you aren't sure about that would negatively impact your actual panel submission.

Mainly, just disappointed that I couldn't try out my panel in a new place because of something minor.

Hi Kate! First, I just wanted to thank you for being so flexible with me, I really appreciate it! I had some technical difficulties with visual output that caused my panel to start an hour late but the staff in the panel room were super helpful and kind, and got me going as quickly as they could. I had a fun time hosting and hope to return for next year!

When I got your text I was trying to get into the AA entrance because of my disability (my panel had already passed and was in the Sheraton anyway), but overheard someone else talking with the AB security staff person stationed at the stairs saying that they were told they would be able to use the AA entrance because they were a panelist, and security told them that because they couldn't prove it, they wouldn't let them up. So I definitely think a special badge/sticker like the Masquerade/Cosplay Games people get would be helpful.

On that note, Hynes security and even AB security were entirely unhelpful when I told them I was in the Masquerade/needed to get to my judging time and it took an escort from Lyndsey to get me into the con for judging on Saturday, so in order for the sticker thing to work, both AB security and Hynes security need to know what it means.

kazesenken wrote:This has more to do about panel submission feedback. I briefly talked to Kate on Friday morning about this but wanted to bring this up to others.

Since this was my first attempt at submitting a panel at AB, I had my panel ranked low because of a misinterpretation which shouldn't have happened if the description was read through. Instead, only the title was really looked at, and they thought it was something completely different.

I realize that AB gets a ton of panel applications, but I was hoping that we could've gotten some feedback early on, so that we could fix minor issues or if something is confusing that could be easily fixed/addressed. Kate and I discussed the possibility of an early, panel test form that could be submitted to hash out any details that you aren't sure about that would negatively impact your actual panel submission.

Mainly, just disappointed that I couldn't try out my panel in a new place because of something minor.

Completely off the cuff here, as I'm not Scribbles, but unless you have developed a professional reputation with the convention itself (i.e. have hosted panels in the past) it is very difficult to judge incoming panels on much more than the level of effort expressed in the submission form. It's almost like a resume, so it's really important to put your best foot forward with it. The more articulate and detailed you sound, the more confident people reading the application will be of your ability to organize and present a panel. I hope that helps.

BasharOfTheAges wrote:
Completely off the cuff here, as I'm not Scribbles, but unless you have developed a professional reputation with the convention itself (i.e. have hosted panels in the past) it is very difficult to judge incoming panels on much more than the level of effort expressed in the submission form. It's almost like a resume, so it's really important to put your best foot forward with it. The more articulate and detailed you sound, the more confident people reading the application will be of your ability to organize and present a panel. I hope that helps.

Not arguing with you on that point. But when the 1st line of the panel description is clear but goes unread, that is a different story. From my understanding, the misinterpretation came from the title. In this case, it didn't matter how detailed I made the submission. It was glossed over.

In any case, my main point is to have short feedback that addresses minor details. I'm not talking about having someone revise an application. But more like feedback in the sense of:
1) Interesting new idea or has been done before
2) Can accommodations be made if special requests are made
3) Some obvious flaws based on years of operating panels at AB
4) Potential issues to look out for
5) There's a lot of people doing similar submissions, maybe you could combine?

When going to new cons, it takes a while before you understand the quirks of that particular location. It may be hard to see these if you haven't been doing panels at AB already, and already understand the system.

In general I think the panels were great and the AB staff did a wonderful job dealing with the inevitable problems that will crop up with an event this large.

I do think that smoothing entry for panelists would help. I can see why everyone still needs to go through security, but being able to jump to the head of the line would help a lot. If there are concerns that the privilege would be abused, it could be restricted to, eg, the one hour period before the panel start time. Of course, this would require some sort of special sticker or pass; maybe have it so the panelists pick that up when they check in with programming ops?

Another smaller point: it would be nice if the pre-event or at least at-event information included some means of contacting staff aside from email, for those last-second emergencies when you aren't near enough the con site to grab someone in orange. The "use the xx entrance" text was the closest thing we got.

Finally, and I don't know if this is a limitation of the gudebook app, but it would be nice if the guidebook description included the panelist's name(s). There were a couple of cases where there were a number of panels on similar topics, and more than one of them was by the same person. If you are interested in seeing multiple opinions on the subject, it would be nice to know that ahead of time. I know the website description includes this information, but the app is very convenient and being able to see it in the app would be great. If the guidebook app isn't capable of including this, maybe make it a requirement that the description text start or end with "Presented by (foo)"?

As a new panelist this year (and one that was slotted into the schedule only 5 days before the start of the con), I was disappointed to find out that many people were not aware of our panel because the Guidebooks were both difficult to read and had not been updated to reflect any last-minute additions to the schedule.

Additionally, like other panelists I would've also appreciated a central room where panelists could leave their things, particularly heavy laptops and other materials, so we could also enjoy walking around the con.

PandaCath wrote:As a new panelist this year (and one that was slotted into the schedule only 5 days before the start of the con), I was disappointed to find out that many people were not aware of our panel because the Guidebooks were both difficult to read and had not been updated to reflect any last-minute additions to the schedule.

Additionally, like other panelists I would've also appreciated a central room where panelists could leave their things, particularly heavy laptops and other materials, so we could also enjoy walking around the con.

This would also aid Panelists in getting back in through bag checks. All i had in my bag was my laptop, and it became quite heavy over time, got me stuck in many bag check lines, etc. Since I presented a panel a day I had to lug that thing around everywhere. Being able to leave it in a safe spot would allow panelists to not only get to meet the staff that run the show more, but also give panelists a chance to meet and coordinate.

Also is there any way to work out official access to stairs in the Sheraton? At one point people used stairs to escape the 5th floor rooms, and other times staff denied there were stairs at all. I had to ride an elevator Up to floor 28, just to come back down to floor 3 to get back in. From floors 5 to 28 to 3. Sounds like stair access would not only ease elevator congestion, but increase panel attendance in the Sheraton.

kazesenken wrote:
I realize that AB gets a ton of panel applications, but I was hoping that we could've gotten some feedback early on, so that we could fix minor issues or if something is confusing that could be easily fixed/addressed. Kate and I discussed the possibility of an early, panel test form that could be submitted to hash out any details that you aren't sure about that would negatively impact your actual panel submission.

Agree 100% and this is something I've advocated for since 2013. That said, the Programming Department needs to do a much better job keeping the lines of communication open. If this means starting the application process 2 months earlier than usual and ending it 2 months earlier than usual, so be it. No one should have to wait until the schedule is announced to find out their panel didn't make the cut just because they're not GOH or from the Industry.

The dismissive "if you don't hear from me at all, assume your panel application wasn't accepted for whatever or no reason" from Kate felt very disrespectful to me and is the the main reason I'm thinking of not running panels any more. My reason for feeling that way is due to personal experiences I'd rather not get into but overall, I find that kind of tone very disrespectful and it's felt like it's become the norm with how AB approaches non-Industry/GOH panelists. Many of the most beloved and adored panels people see each year are run by regular panelists but it feels like a little respect is too much to ask for.

BasharOfTheAges wrote:
Completely off the cuff here, as I'm not Scribbles, but unless you have developed a professional reputation with the convention itself (i.e. have hosted panels in the past) it is very difficult to judge incoming panels on much more than the level of effort expressed in the submission form. It's almost like a resume, so it's really important to put your best foot forward with it. The more articulate and detailed you sound, the more confident people reading the application will be of your ability to organize and present a panel. I hope that helps.

This is the third year in a row some of my panel submissions didn't make the cut for various reasons and since you seem to not be aware of this, preferential treatment is not given go vets like myself and many others they know. This is to be fair to first-time panelists. The only folks who get preferential treatment are folks from the Industry for obvious reasons.

There's also the fact AB's Director of Panels and Programming changed after AB2014. Kate didn't have the same relationship with many of the longtime panelists Lou had so...yeah. It's like getting a new boss in short. LOL. I've had too many real life work-related similarities in the last 5 years in particular so...yeah. I'm done.

Just an FYI- room 200 isn't just Programming, it's also Technical Operations' HQ and often very busy. I'm not opposed to a Panelists' Room if we have the space and Programming is cool with it, but I don't think 200 is the right location.

kazesenken wrote:
I realize that AB gets a ton of panel applications, but I was hoping that we could've gotten some feedback early on, so that we could fix minor issues or if something is confusing that could be easily fixed/addressed. Kate and I discussed the possibility of an early, panel test form that could be submitted to hash out any details that you aren't sure about that would negatively impact your actual panel submission.

Agree 100% and this is something I've advocated for since 2013. That said, the Programming Department needs to do a much better job keeping the lines of communication open. If this means starting the application process 2 months earlier than usual and ending it 2 months earlier than usual, so be it. No one should have to wait until the schedule is announced to find out their panel didn't make the cut just because they're not GOH or from the Industry.

The dismissive "if you don't hear from me at all, assume your panel application wasn't accepted for whatever or no reason" from Kate felt very disrespectful to me and is the the main reason I'm thinking of not running panels any more. My reason for feeling that way is due to personal experiences I'd rather not get into but overall, I find that kind of tone very disrespectful and it's felt like it's become the norm with how AB approaches non-Industry/GOH panelists. Many of the most beloved and adored panels people see each year are run by regular panelists but it feels like a little respect is too much to ask for.

BasharOfTheAges wrote:
Completely off the cuff here, as I'm not Scribbles, but unless you have developed a professional reputation with the convention itself (i.e. have hosted panels in the past) it is very difficult to judge incoming panels on much more than the level of effort expressed in the submission form. It's almost like a resume, so it's really important to put your best foot forward with it. The more articulate and detailed you sound, the more confident people reading the application will be of your ability to organize and present a panel. I hope that helps.

This is the third year in a row some of my panel submissions didn't make the cut for various reasons and since you seem to not be aware of this, preferential treatment is not given go vets like myself and many others they know. This is to be fair to first-time panelists. The only folks who get preferential treatment are folks from the Industry for obvious reasons.

There's also the fact AB's Director of Panels and Programming changed after AB2014. Kate didn't have the same relationship with many of the longtime panelists Lou had so...yeah. It's like getting a new boss in short. LOL. I've had too many real life work-related similarities in the last 5 years in particular so...yeah. I'm done.

I didn't say preferential treatment, I said reputation. That's a word that cuts both ways. It reflects both your previous panel hosting and your private and public interactions with staff and attendees. Panel selection is not done by 1 person alone. It's a group effort. And reputation has a way of persisting when there are plenty of records floating around.

BasharOfTheAges wrote:
I didn't say preferential treatment, I said reputation. That's a word that cuts both ways. It reflects both your previous panel hosting and your private and public interactions with staff and attendees. Panel selection is not done by 1 person alone. It's a group effort. And reputation has a way of persisting when there are plenty of records floating around.

Reputation resets when you move from West Coast to East Coast. That's the problem I had, where I panel entry over there just didn't work the same here.

Sometimes, things are treated completely different at another anime convention. That's why panel submission feedback is important, even if it's something small. Panels that could be very popular in one con, but overly done elsewhere. It can also help prevent undesirable accidents, like say a person falling off your stage because they get a bit too excited.

If the time vs fan panel entries is an issue, the submission deadline should be sooner. This would give time for thorough evaluations and corrections, which would improve overall panel quality (especially for those starting out) and reduce the chance of cancelled panels.

A couple more suggestions:
- Is there a place where people can test their presentations/video/sound? Have seen a lot of issues with panels that I went to. Maybe include this in a room for panelists hangout.
- Posted up-to-date schedules - Many people still don't have access to apps and still rely on paper guide. Possible to set up TVs that show a "what's happening next for all areas (like few hr time frame)" in key locations?

Aurabolt wrote:
The dismissive "if you don't hear from me at all, assume your panel application wasn't accepted for whatever or no reason" from Kate felt very disrespectful to me and is the the main reason I'm thinking of not running panels any more. My reason for feeling that way is due to personal experiences I'd rather not get into but overall, I find that kind of tone very disrespectful and it's felt like it's become the norm with how AB approaches non-Industry/GOH panelists. Many of the most beloved and adored panels people see each year are run by regular panelists but it feels like a little respect is too much to ask for.

This problem is compounded by the late response times for scheduling fan panels. If I don't receive a response I don't actually know whether my panel has been rejected until the day of the convention. If I don't hear anything at all, should I just put in all the work to finish and polish my panel anyway? Rather than a tone issue, I find it doesn't respect the time of the people who are trying to provide content for the convention.

In regards to panelists abusing special access privileges, maybe a ticket system would be better than a sticker system? Under the assumption that you should only need to skip a line to get to your panel, you'd get X or X + 1 tickets where X is the number of panels you run, and you redeem them to a staff member to get access to, for example, the Artists' Alley line. The major downside to this is that you can lose the tickets, of course. As a panelist I would strongly prefer the different badge but I'm just throwing this out there as an alternative.

Something Kate and I were talking about over the weekend was how to find events that compromise between people's goals for AB, which seem to be going to cool events and hanging out with your friends. These don't always mix because at panels it can often be rude to be constantly talking to your friends. Many people default to hanging out in the hallways for long periods of time or places like the Dealers' Room. While good for the dealers, this makes these areas very crowded at peak times. I think it would be nice if there were things to do in rooms that were cool events where you could talk to friends, for example the karaoke room and the 21+ lounge. I think moving the karaoke room to the Phantom Zone (as one of my friends put it) was bad because it took away one of these spaces from the Hynes, but otakuforlife and Cave both seem to like the new room.

If anyone has any new ideas for this sort of event/room, I would like to hear it. One thought I had was to have a sister room to karaoke that had an open mic feel, where people could perform live covers, do stand-up/poetry, etc. Kate also proposed having a jam space a la PAX and MagFest. This kind of space inside the Hynes seems especially important if the line situation doesn't improve next year and people are still afraid to leave the convention center because they're afraid of waiting in line for over an hour just to get back in.

kazesenken wrote:
- Is there a place where people can test their presentations/video/sound? Have seen a lot of issues with panels that I went to. Maybe include this in a room for panelists hangout.

I'm not sure if panelists didn't know this or if they were stuck in the security line, but you can go in your panel room a full half hour before your actual panel start time and set up. This is what I did for both my panels and I had zero trouble with getting the sound & video working in time. A half hour is plenty of time to get your equipment working; on the other hand, if you show up 5 minutes before your panel start time (as I saw many other panelists do throughout the weekend), you very well could have issues yes.

Yuusuke wrote:
In regards to panelists abusing special access privileges, maybe a ticket system would be better than a sticker system? Under the assumption that you should only need to skip a line to get to your panel, you'd get X or X + 1 tickets where X is the number of panels you run, and you redeem them to a staff member to get access to, for example, the Artists' Alley line. The major downside to this is that you can lose the tickets, of course. As a panelist I would strongly prefer the different badge but I'm just throwing this out there as an alternative.

On that note, how about putting the panel times that you are running onto the stickers?

You would receive the sticker when you go to check in for your panel at Rm 200, and then you could just put it on your badge. That way, the staff can see if you are actually going to your panel and not just abusing it. This would also encourage more people to do panel check-in.

i was hoping that the panel would end up with it's own feedback thread with a copy of the powerpoint slides used, but unfortunately that didn't end up happening. i could have sworn the panelists said they had a copy of the presentation on their website and facebook page, but i couldn't find a copy on either place.

"Asking cosplayers to walk through a metal detector is like asking Axl Rose to take a drug test." -Bluebeard45

kazesenken wrote:
On that note, how about putting the panel times that you are running onto the stickers?

You would receive the sticker when you go to check in for your panel at Rm 200, and then you could just put it on your badge. That way, the staff can see if you are actually going to your panel and not just abusing it. This would also encourage more people to do panel check-in.

Arisia does something similar, giving a special packet to its panelists after check in.

Aurabolt wrote:
There's also the fact AB's Director of Panels and Programming changed after AB2014. Kate didn't have the same relationship with many of the longtime panelists Lou had so...yeah. It's like getting a new boss in short. LOL. I've had too many real life work-related similarities in the last 5 years in particular so...yeah. I'm done.

That explains why my IP law panel was rejected, though it had been accepted in previous years.

I do have to say, the staff of AB was AWESOME in terms of helping me with all my panels. I didn't have any issues while running my panels and they made my setup nearly flawless.

Also, props to you guys for letting the panelists use the Sheraton entrance, that helped me A LOT when it came to getting in and out when I kept rushing back and forth grabbing my stuff from the Hilton hotel.

One small thing I'm gonna give my 2 cents on is that hopefully by next year, every room will have HDMI adapters in terms of plugging computers in, as most computers sold these days ONLY take HDMI. I still have a VGA port so I was fine, but during my Saturday night panel, the VGA cable I was using had a few problems while I was setting up my computer and the staff was scrambling trying to find an HDMI hookup. Luckily it was only a small issue since the VGA cable worked fine after a bit of a hiccup but the staff didn't seem prepared for that type of issue.

All in all though, MAJOR props to you guys, this year was AWESOME in terms of my panels having a lot of success =D

I had mixed help from the technical staff - two of my panels went really well and staff was very helpful. My final panel on Sunday afternoon started out fine! They helped me get sound started and asked a friend to help organize people coming into the room.
About halfway through my panel, I had some trouble switching displays, which had previously just worked out fine. I say in front of the room saying "I need help," "Can someone help me," etc. I looked over to the technical staff in the room and he was staring at screen and avoiding my gaze and verbal requests. It was not until two attendees of the panel came up and tried to help that he walked over. He was still unable to help me and one of the attendees did instead.
Are these people there for tech support or just volunteers? If they are there for tech support, I think they should be trained in some basic... Tech support. Like trouble shooting display problems, audio, etc.

My other worry was about the lines on Friday for early panels. My sister and I hosted a panel at 10:30am, and we got into line around 9:30. The artist alley entrance was not open, so we had to get into the other entrances. We ended up getting into the con around 10:20 and rushed up to our room. It was cutting it very close. I agree with others that panelists should have a special sticker or badge of some sort. I think this should be done in the Sheraton or near registration in some way, so you don't have to get into the con to check in as a panelist.

This year it opened in November? October? I think? And closed on January 15th. The con was in late march. Submission order doesn't matter, as I tend to let my ideas cook up until the deadline, and I got most of mine approved. There's people of all experience levels here, so feel free to ask questions.